poofter

poofter
(poove, pouff, puff)
n
a male homosexual. The most common slang term in Britain and Australia. The variations of the word go in and out of fashion. Poof and poove were popular in the 1960s, poofter in the 1970s. The origin of the epithet is obscure and the subject of argument. Possibilities include 'pouff!' as a supposedly affected exclamation of disdain, or a northern English pronunciation of 'puff', which itself could be a dialect exclamation of disgust, a reference to puffed-up with pride, or a Victorian term for a sodomite. It might equally be inspired by the 'puff' of 'powder puff', or the French words pouffe: a stuffed seat and pouffer (de rire): giggle.

Contemporary slang . 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • poofter — UK [ˈpəʊftə(r)] / US [ˈpʊftər] noun [countable] Word forms poofter : singular poofter plural poofters British offensive a gay man …   English dictionary

  • Poofter — homosexual male, also used insultingly (e.g. You poofter! ); 2. effeminate male; 3. homosexual …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • poofter — Australian Slang 1.homosexual male, also used insultingly (e.g. You poofter! ); 2. effeminate male; 3. homosexual …   English dialects glossary

  • poofter — [[t]p ʊftə(r)[/t]] poofters N COUNT A poofter is a homosexual man. [BRIT, INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE] …   English dictionary

  • poofter-bash — /ˈpʊftə bæʃ/ (say pooftuh bash) verb (i) Colloquial → gay bash. –poofter bashing, noun –poofter basher, noun …  

  • poofter — also pooftah noun Etymology: by alteration Date: 1903 British usually disparaging poof …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • poofter — [ pʊftə, pu: ] noun another term for poof1. Origin early 20th cent.: extended form …   English new terms dictionary

  • poofter * — Noun. 1. A homosexual, usually male. Derog. 2. A soft, feeble person. Derog. * Also spelt pooftah and generally heard pronounced as poofdah …   English slang and colloquialisms

  • poofter — poof·ter …   English syllables

  • poofter — /ˈpʊftə / (say pooftuh) noun Colloquial 1. (sometimes derogatory) a male homosexual. 2. a weak or cowardly man; wimp: *These kids were cissies and a lot of poofters and I disliked most of them. –william dick, 1965. Also, poof, poofta. {expanded… …  

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